Care to Elaborate?
by Chisais-Redorbshipping
Summary: Redorbshipping. Maxie elaborates on something he once said to May. And May explains why she defends Team Magma.


May hadn't meant to see him today, nor had she meant to seek him out. But when she happened to be scrolling through the contacts in her PokeNav, she noticed that Maxie's location didn't list him as being on the Jagged Pass. (Which was where the Magma base was located) Instead, it stated that he was somewhere around Meteor falls.

Curiosity having gotten the better of May, She decided to go and see what Maxie was up to. She was always curious when it came to Maxie. Always. He was just one of those interesting and hard to understand people that you wanted to _try _and understand, but probably never would. People like that made May want to know what they were up to at all times. Because chances were, if she put in the effort to find out what it was. More likely than not, it would be something interesting.

So May quickly called to Latios via her Eon Flute, and flew from Lilycove all the way to Meteor Falls. She flew around the exterior briefly to see if he was by chance outside. However, he was not. So she landed, thanked Latios for the lift, and entered the interior of the cave. May had half a mind to release one of her Pokemon to keep the Zubat littering the cave at bay. However, when she spotted Maxie not too far from the entrance, along with his Crobat, she decided it wouldn't be needed.

"Maxie! Crobat!" May called as trotted over to them. Her voice echoed along the stone walls, so despite the distance between them, the pair caught the sound of her voice easily.

May could see both trainer and Pokemon turn towards her general direction, and while Maxie simply nodded to her in recognition. Crobat, taking advantage of his agility, quickly flew over to her and began hovering around her happily.

"Ahck!" May cried out when Crobat initially approached. She didn't fear the large poison Pokemon, but was definitely startled by Crobat having approached her so quickly. Especially when she happened to have been standing on the already shaky walkway of a bridge that stretched across Meteor Falls' lake.

"Geeze! Don't do that Crobat your going to knock me over one of these days!" May said with only half-serious tone. "I know what you want though." May said with a smile and dug into her sideabg. Pulling out her PokeBlock case and dispensing a pink PokeBlock.

"Here you go." May tossed the block as far into the air as she could, and watched as Crobat effortlessly captured it mid-air and consumed it. With the large bat now satisfied with its treat. May was allowed to walk the rest of the distance over to greet Maxie.

"Do I need to remind you to not spoil my Pokemon?" Maxie said. His voice carrying a subtle tone of sarcasm.

"Oh please!" May responded with a similar tone. "One PokeBlock per a visit is _hardly _spoiling. Poor thing probably doesn't get anything from you."

"He does not, and I consider it spoiling, when they begin to expect them from me as well."

May smiled. "Oh boo-hoo, it wouldn't kill you to give your Pokemon a treat every now and then!"

Maxie smiled ever so slightly. The corners of his just barely upturned. "Ah, would you look at that, I think my heart just stopped."

May looked at Maxie for only a brief moment before she burst into laughter. Not hysterical, but it was a bit on the loud side. It was just that the overly flat tone of Maxie's voice had made the remark funnier to May than it probably was.

"Well, look at that!" May giggled as she began to calm herself down. "You _do_ have a sense of humor after all! Heh, Archie owes me a dollar now!"

Maxie chuckled. Glad to have for a moment been able to brighten things up. For the reason he had come to this particular place had left him feeling rather depressed before she had arrived.

"So," May said. While taking in the naturally beautiful view of Meteor Falls. "why are you all the way up here? Any reason?"

"I could ask you the very same." Maxie said. His gaze fixed to something out in the distance.

May hummed to herself quietly. "I'm here because you are."

Maxie grinned. "So eager to see me, are you? That you would even follow me all the way out here?"

May nodded slowly. "Some things never change, I guess. And besides, this place is a very nice place to be. It's beautiful here. So I don't mind."

"I see." He said.

Things became quiet between the two of them, and for a considerable amount of time, neither of them said anything. They both absentmindedly looked out at the expansive cave system, and admired the sights that it contained. Maxie found himself more drawn to taking the intricate structure of the cave itself, while May was more inclined to admire the Pokemon there. From the Zubat fluttering around the ceiling of the cave, to the fish Pokemon in the crystal-clear lake below, and the occasional Lunetone or Solrock that would hover into view before disappearing a moment later. May had considered leaving for just a moment to capture a Solrock for a friend she remembered was interested in them. However, she was stayed before even taking a step by Maxie who had broken the silence with a sudden question.

"Why is it," Maxie asked. "you are so keen on defending me, May?"

May looked at him with a confused expression. Not knowing what he meant. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"I heard about it, over the BuzzNav. You apparently got quite the media backlash when you tried to convince members of the league that I should be forgiven for my... mistake." Maxie looked over at May. Locking eyes with her. "Why?"

"I-I..." May blinked once and realized she had to look away. The intensity in Maxie's eyes made her feel confused. "I... Don't know... No, wait... I think..." Her words trailed off. If he had in fact seen the entire ordeal via the news. May could only imagine what he heard them say about him. It hadn't been pretty and May had never been able to bring herself to watch the broadcast herself.

May sighed. "I'm horrible at reading people you know, but... I... I can read Pokemon. Really, really well... Always have been able to..."

Maxie raised an eyebrow, wondering where she was going with this, but he didn't interrupt despite his confusion. He had a few long-ended conversations with May, and so he knew that she often backtracked, and gave every little possible detail before getting to the point of a matter.

May looked up at him, but her eyes were still diverted form his. "When I first met you... I thought you were crazy, and horrible, and smug, and lots of other things..." May's eyes shifted for a moment onto Maxie's and she caught a familiar look of guilt in them. "_However_..."

May turned in the opposite direction of Maxie, her back facing him now, to look at his Crobat which had perched on a stalagmite near them. "When I battled you... I realized I was mistaken..."

"What do you mean?" Maxie muttered.

May turned back towards him. "Do you know... Do you know what makes Pokemon strong, Maxie? I-I wouldn't usually ask this of a more experienced trainer, because chances are I'm probably wrong, but I'm curious what you think."

Maxie thought for a long moment before answering. It wasn't as if he was bewildered by the question. It was just that he was left wondering why she had asked it. "I would say that it would be its human partner, and the skill they have as a trainer to unlock the Pokemon's full potential."

May shook her head. "Skill has the _least _to do with it. There is something much, much more important... I think so anyways."

"And what would that be?" Maxie asked. Genuinely curious.

"It's friendship." May gestured over to the Crobat behind her to make a point. "It's companionship."

"What are you saying?" Maxie asked.

"Over the course of my journey. I've noticed that there is a _huge _difference between a Pokemon that fights for its master, and a Pokemon that fights for its friend. I realized, when we had that first battle at Mt. Chimney, that your Pokemon fit into the later category."

May smiled at him brightly. "I knew that you couldn't have been a bad person from that. Because your Pokemon would not have fought as hard as they did if you were. They would have fought regardless, yes, but they wouldn't have given the effort that I saw then. And in the end. It turned out I was right."

"That still doesn't quite answer-"

May interrupted him. "-Why I decided to defend you? It's simple. It's because I believe in you."

Maxie smiled, however, the rest of his expression made it look increasingly remorseful. "You said that you were not experienced in reading people, is that right? Perhaps you are still mistaken then."

May crossed her arms and a scowl appeared on her face. Though she looked more hurt. "Are sulking? Is that why you came all the way out here?" She verbally jabbed.

Maxie visibly stiffened at her words. "I am... not I..."

May's eyes softened. "Maxie, I truly believe in second chances. You did all you could to right your wrongs. You don't have to keep dwelling on it."

Maxie shook his head. "No. I have committed many more crimes than just _that _one incident." The look in his eyes turned to a glare. It wasn't pointed at May, but instead out at some object in front of himself. "You cannot excuse them all with a 'second chance'."

May shook her head. "Maybe I can't, but at least you had a well-intended goal in mind. You were never malicious. That's more than can be said for a lot of people."

"How is it... That you can still think so well of me?" Maxie asked.

May's crossed arms fell to her sides, and her expression relaxed. "I already told you, its because I believe in you, and what you said to me."

"And what was that?" Maxie replied.

"You said that... Said that Team Magma was 'a noble organization that just wanted to give humanity the ability to reach new heights and evolution'. Is that not still true?"

Maxie relaxed, his expression becoming calm. "It is."

May smiled. "Well then, you see? That's a very well-intended goal. It not as if you had some horrible motive... You were just a bit... misguided, at worst. So you need to quit blaming yourself, Maxie, I can tell you still do." May said reassuringly.

Maxie's slid shut as he went deep into though. He tried to recall a specific moment in time, and when did. He asked May another question. "May, do you remember what else I said to you?"

May perked up. "Um... Well, you've said a lot of things. You might not realize it, but you can talk _a lot _when you want to."

Maxie chuckled lightheartedly. "I mean. What I said about your part in humanities future?"

"Oh yea," May said. "It was something about me helping to shape it, right?"

Maxie nodded. "Precisely. I said to you that I wanted to educate you because you were one of the young persons who could shape our society's future. When in the end. I was the one who needed educating."

"I remember that, but you know," May laughed nervously. "I kinda thought you were being sarcastic when you said that to me."

Maxie sighed. "Your right, I was at the time. However, that was long before I learned of your potential and skill. Also your kindness, and selflessness." Maxie paused for a moment. Recalling the moment that they had met in Slateport. Remembering how much of a nuisance he saw her as back then, and how much he hated himself for those feelings now.

"Regardless of what I thought in the past, I truly believe what I said then, however insincere it might have been. It was true, and now I realize that you will likely play a larger part then most." Maxie mused. "However, now that feeling is coupled with a desire to see you thrive and grow. To see first-hand how you alone will be able to further humanities evolution. Because I know that you are capable of even much more than you have already accomplished. May, I truly believe that."

May couldn't help but shy away a bit after hearing all that. It was so incredibly flattering, and was phrased so factually that she wondered if he saw her potential influence as an absolute. Instead of a possibility.

"May, I came here to get away form you." Maxie said suddenly. "Because I realized something the other day that concerned me."

May looked at him skeptically. "You realized what?"

"That the way I have begun to see you. The way I have begun to think of you... It would only hinder your ability to make the changes in the world that I know you can make. I am now the nuisance."

May faltered a bit. Feeling suddenly out of place. "And way is that?"

"I cannot say." He looked at May one last time. His gaze looked very sad and regretful. "It would not be fair of me to place you in such a situation."

May didn't know what to say to that, and wasn't sure what he meant by it either. She wanted to ask more questions, but before she could even get a word in, Maxie turned around and began making his way out of the cave without another comment. May watched him go, and while she was completely dumbfounded, she felt incapable of doing anything but watch him briskly retreat.

Crobat looked sadly at the girl, then over towards his master that was quickly disappearing down the expansive cave. Even the Pokemon, while not directly involved in the dynamic between them, knew the way that this had ended was wrong. However, he also recognized that his master had come closer than ever to saying what he should have for long while now.

Crobat spread his four wings wide and flew off after Maxie. May watched the bat leave, and began to feel sad to be left alone. However, she caught just for a moment. Right before Crobat turned away from her, a silent request from the Pokemon, given in a small gesture and the slightest expression.

_'follow him.'_

**Author Note**: Don't worry, there will be second part to this story, I wouldn't be so mean as to end it right here.


End file.
